


Changing Fate

by Denise



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 02:00:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/437876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denise/pseuds/Denise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if, in The Line of Duty, Sam didn't visit Cassie?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Changing Fate

 

Changing Fate

By

Denise

 

“Jack, you notice anything strange about Sam?” Daniel asked Colonel Jack O’Neill as the two men were getting dressed for their mission to P6R211. 

 

Jack looked up from tying his bootlaces, a questioning look on his face.  “What do you mean ?”

 

Daniel Jackson pulled his jacket off its hanger and sat beside his CO and friend.  “I don’t know... I mean it’s nothing concrete.  I... she’s just been a little... off ever since we got back from Nasyia yesterday.”

 

“Adrenaline does funny things to people Daniel.  That fire fight, getting strafed by death gliders...” Jack surveyed the locker room as if to make sure the two men were alone.  “My hands were shaking for a couple of hours,”  he admitted, almost grudgingly. 

 

Daniel shook his head.  “I’ve seen you guys coming down off adrenaline highs before.  They’re worse than my caffeine buzzes.  This just seems different.  The way she talked to Teal’c in the briefing... It just seems... off.” Daniel looked at Jack, a mixture of confusion and concern on his face. 

 

Jack finished with his laces and stood up.  “Ya know, when I went back to get her she had blood on her face.  I remember her telling me the guy she was trying to do CPR on bit his tongue and she got a mouthful of blood.  She was probably just grossed out.  I know I would be,” Jack said as he suppressed a small shudder.

 

“If you say so,” Daniel replied, uncertainty plain on his face. 

 

Jack took one look at the younger man and sighed.  Damn, when exactly had he gotten under his skin?  Every time Jack tried to say no he would flash back to the sight of Daniel lying on the deck of Klorel’s ship, dying.  If that kid ever realized just how tightly he could wrap him around his finger... Jack would never live it down.

 

“OK Daniel, I’ll keep an eye on her.  But...” Jack pointed his finger in Daniel’s face, “if she figures it out, she’ll be hacked off.  And I’ll send her straight to you.”

 

Daniel got a grin on his face and nodded. “Deal.”

 

“We leave in 15 Space Monkey.  And don’t forget your gun,” Jack reminded Daniel as he left the locker room.  Daniel watched the door close without replying.  Space monkey? Where the hell had Jack pulled THAT one from?

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Sam?” Dr.  Janet Frasier called after her friend.  She kept walking.  Janet sped up a bit and gently grabbed Sam by the arm.  “Sam?” she repeated. 

 

The woman turned to see who was delaying her.  “Oh Janet, sorry I didn’t hear you.”

 

“That’s OK.  Cassie missed you this morning,” Janet reminded her friend of her promised visit. 

 

Sam looked at her quizzically.  Then memory returned.  “I’m sorry.  I over slept this morning,” she offered as an excuse. 

 

Janet felt a twinge of concern.  “Everything OK?  Is your throat worse?”

 

“No it’s fine.  My alarm clock died last night,” Sam said distractedly as she looked at her watch.  “Look Janet, can I come over after we get back? I’m due in the gate room in 10 minutes and you know how annoyed the Colonel gets if we’re late.”

 

Janet shot her friend a look.  She couldn’t remember Sam ever blowing her off before.  Making a mental note to check her over thoroughly when SG-1 returned, Janet let go of Sam’s arm.  “Yeah, no problem.  See you guys when you get back.”

 

Sam barely waited for Janet to finish her sentence before she continued her trek to the gate room, throwing an abstracted wave over her shoulder. 

 

Janet stared after her for a minute before she shook her head and decided to get some coffee before the day got too crazy.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

“OK kids, welcome to P6R211.  Please take note of the FASCINATING trees,” O’Neill said sarcastically, gesturing with his hands as he and the rest of SG-1 began to fan out through the barren, rocky clearing.  “Carter, send the MALP back.  Then you and Daniel can go explore to your hearts’ content.  For two hours.  And two hours only,” he emphasized looking at Daniel.  “Yes sir,” he heard the woman reply as she picked up the controls to the probe and readied it to return to the SGC. 

 

A few minutes later Daniel heard the gate whoosh open and turned to see Sam send the MALP back home.  He watched Jack and Teal’c walking around a few yards away.  Hearing the gate close, Daniel turned back to Sam.  She was studying the DHD intently.  It reminded him of the first few times she studied the device. “Sam? You ready?”

 

She turned to him, a guilty look on her face. “Huh?”

 

Daniel jerked his thumb at Jack and explained.  “Jack wants to watch some Stanley thing on TV tonight.  We’d have to find something really thrilling to keep him here very long.”

“Sure, Daniel.  No problem,” Sam said as she turned reluctantly from the DHD to follow him. 

 

~~~~~~

 

“My being here is a waste of time.  I mean if there WAS a civilization here we wouldn’t be looking to relocate the Nasyians here right?” When he got no response he looked over to the woman walking beside him through the grassy field dotted with colorful wildflowers.  She was scanning the treeline with a vigilance that would rival Teal’c’s.  //This is weird.  We’ve been walking for nearly an hour and Sam hasn’t gathered a single sample. She should be picking enough flowers to annoy his allergies for weeks.//

 

“Sam are you OK?”

 

“I’m fine Daniel,” she answered quickly, maybe too quickly.

 

“You aren’t acting fine.  Jack told me about what happened on the planet.”

 

At his words Sam shot him a sharp look.  “What?”

 

Daniel stopped walking, taken aback by Sam’s overreaction to his words.  “Aah... about the man... the one you tried to save... the blood... I’m sorry it didn’t work... I mean you tried...”

 

Sam took a breath and relaxed a bit. “I wish it would have worked.  Carna was a good man.  He deserved better.”

 

“Who?”

 

“What?”

 

“Who’s Carna?”

 

Sam shrugged. “Got me.”

 

“No you called the dead man Carna.  How’d you know his name?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“The guy that died.  How did you know his name?” Daniel asked, puzzlement written all over his face.

 

“Aah... I just... just did.”

 

Daniel shook his head.  “No this isn’t right.  Sam, what the hell is going on with you?” he asked as he grabbed both of her arms to make her face him.

 

“Nothing... I... aah...” Daniel’s eyes widen as he sees the all too familiar glow in Sam’s eyes.  //Oh my God.  She’s a...// His thoughts remained unfinished as she broke free of his grasp and knocked him to the ground with a vicious blow to the side of his head.  He felt the world tilt and spin as she stood over him like some avenging angel.  ‘This is gonna hurt,’ flashed through his brain as her hand descended and merciful blackness enveloped him. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“...aniel, Carter? Come in.  Dammit Daniel, Carter? Answer me.” Daniel opened his eyes, squinting them shut again as the sunlight sent knives of pain through his head.  //Whatta you know, she didn’t kill me.// “Daniel, Carter, ANSWER THE DAMN RADIO!!”

 

Daniel fumbled for the radio anchored to his left shoulder.  “Jack?”

 

O’Neill answered him, relief and annoyance obvious in his voice.  “Daniel, what the hell is going on? You and Carter should be on your way back by now.”

 

“Have you seen Sam?” Daniel asked, ignoring the question.

 

“Daniel, if I knew where Carter was I’d know where YOU are!”

 

“Jack just listen to me.  We need to find Sam.  She’s a Goa’uld.  I think she’s trying to get off world,” Daniel said, trying to concentrate through the ache in his head as he gingerly probed the lump behind his left ear.

 

“Daniel, what are you talking about? How’d Carter get a snake?”

 

Daniel rolled his eyes in exasperation as he forced himself to his feet.  He keyed his mike with a vengeance.  “Jack, I DON’T KNOW! Look... she knocked me out.  I think she’s headed towards the gate.  You have to stop her.  I’m headed back now but I think I’m a couple of miles away.”

 

“OK Daniel, watch yourself.  Teal’c and I’ll head towards the gate.  You see her, leave her alone.  If she’s a Goa’uld she can cream you.”

 

“Jack, she could have killed me a few minutes ago but she didn’t.  I think she just wants to get off world.”

 

“Whatever Daniel,” Jack replied disbelief clear in his voice.  “We check in every 15 minutes understood?”

 

“OK.”

 

Jack let go of his radio and turned to Teal’c.  “Any idea how she got a snake in her head?”

 

“I would presume there were Goa’uld hiding among the native population of Nasyia.  If that were true, it would explain the unwarranted attack upon the natives.”

 

“Sweet.  So we could have brought more than one back with us.  Some of those injured people could be snake heads?”

 

“That would be a logical conclusion O’Neill.”

 

Jack looked the Jaffa in the eyes.  “Look Teal’c, I really hope Daniel’s wrong.  But if he’s not... Carter knows too much to... she... she comes with us or...”

 

“She either returns to Earth or she is terminated,” Teal’c interrupted his CO to state coldly. 

 

Jack nodded resignedly. “Yeah.”

 

“I understand O’Neill.” Teal’c stated as he turned to walk swiftly back to the gate.

 

“I don’t know if you do,” Jack said quietly as he trotted after Teal’c.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

O’Neill and Teal’c cautiously approached the tree line surrounding the rocky clearing containing the Stargate. 

 

“O’Neill, the gate is being activated.”

 

“Damn.”

 

Both men increased their pace, coming to an abrupt halt as they took cover behind two trees.  O’Neill peeked around the tree and saw that Sam was alone.  He motioned to Teal’c and the two men cautiously walked into the clearing.

 

“Stand to Captain!” Jack yelled.  Sam spun away from the DHD, her hands pulling her rifle up to take aim at Jack and Teal’c.  Both men raised their weapons and took aim at her.  “Step away from the DHD Captain.”

_“Do not interfere Tau’ri.  I must return to my people.”_

 

“No.  You and Carter are returning to MY people.  That is the only option,” Jack stated emphatically as he and Teal’c slowly walked toward the gate, moving further and further apart as they walked, forcing Sam to divide her attention between the two of them.

_“STOP! Do not come closer,”_ Sam said, her voice resonating with the dual tones of a Goa’uld host.  She raised her rifle and fired a few rounds at O’Neill’s feet.  He jerked to a halt.

 

“Dammit Carter,” he muttered.  //Suppose I should be grateful she settled for warning shots.// “Look, you’re NOT going to take your new host back to your Goa’uld friends.  She IS coming back with us.  So unless you plan to go solo... you’re coming too.” He saw Carter’s eyes glow and a look of anger cross her face.

_“I am not Goa’uld,”_ she declared angrily.

 

“Funny voice, glowing eyes... looks like Goa’uld to me,” Jack stated, darting his eyes at Teal’c.  The Jaffa was taking advantage of Carter’s preoccupation with Jack to slowly ease his way around her.

_“We are NOT Goa’uld.  We fight their tyranny.  We are the Tok’ra. **STOP**!”_ she yelled swinging her rifle towards Teal’c.  Jack took advantage of her divided attention to move forward.  She responded by shifting her rifle to her left hand and pulling her sidearm with her right so both men were now covered.  _“Come no closer or I will fire.”_

 

“You will NOT take her with you,” Jack declared determinedly.

_“And you will NOT keep me here,”_ she replied, just as determined.  The three of them stood there, the gentle humming of the partially dialed Stargate the only sound.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Daniel jogged into the rock strewn clearing, hoping desperately that he wasn’t too late.  He stood by the tree line, his eyes taking in the nightmarish sight.  His three best friends stood in a triangle, weapons raised and armed.  Daniel had a quick and horrible vision of all three dying, each killed by the other leaving him alone... again.  He took a deep breath and slowly began to walk forward.  He saw Sam’s eyes catch the movement and dart toward him.

_“Stop!”_ she cried.  Daniel held up his empty hands.

 

“I’m unarmed.  And if you ask Sam she’ll tell you I’m a lousy shot anyway.  I just want to talk,” He said as he slowly walked between Jack and Teal’c.

 

“Daniel...” Jack started.

 

“Jack, we can’t stand here all day,” Daniel replied as he walked past him, moving slowly closer to Sam.  Raising his voice he addressed the woman. 

 

“I’m Daniel Jackson... Who are you?”

_“My name is unimportant.”_

 

“Oh I think it’s very important.  Who are you?” She remained silent.  “Look, we need a little trust here.  I know Sam, she didn’t volunteer to carry you around.  That means you invaded her.  We also know of a couple of ways to extract a symbiote from a host.  And I’m willing to bet Jack or Teal’c will kill Sam before they let you take her.  Right now your only chance of getting out of this alive is if we let you.  Under the circumstances I think a name isn’t too much to ask.” Sam looked from Daniel to the two men who indeed looked ready to kill the host.  Her eyes narrowed in impotent anger as she relented.

_“I am Jolinar of Malkshur.”_

 

“OK, that’s good to know.”

 

“The same Jolinar who once challenged Apophis?” Teal’c asked earning him a curious glance from O’Neill.

_“My past is none of your business.  Let me go and I’ll return your friend to you.”_

 

“Now that is just not gonna happen.” Jack saw Sam’s arms waver a bit.  She abruptly blinked her eyes and a look of confusion crossed her face.

 

“Colonel...?” she asked, wrinkling her brow as if to make sense of what was happening.

 

“Carter... are you you?” Jack asked cautiously.

 

“What... what’s going on?”

 

“Drop the weapons.  You got yourself a little hitchhiker.  Drop the guns and we’ll go home.” At his words Sam looked at her hands as if just realizing she was holding weapons.  She let the rifle clatter to the ground as she continued to look quizzically at her pistol.  Jack motioned for Teal’c and Daniel to stay back as he slowly approached Sam.  “Carter, gimme the pistol.  We’ll get you home and get that snake out of your head.”

 

“Home... got to... got to go home...” he heard her mutter as she turned her attention to the DHD.

 

“Sam...” Jack asked dubiously as he approached her hoping not to see the tell tale glow of her eyes. 

 

“I need to go home,” she stated more firmly.  She snapped her glowing eyes up and saw the man standing close to her.  _“You won’t stop me!”_ she declared as she swiftly brought up her foot and slammed it into Jack’s middle.  As he instinctively hunched over she crashed the butt of her pistol on the back of his head.  He rolled down the steps and landed in a heap on the  ground. 

 

“ **NO**!!!”

 

She turned and took aim at Daniel’s scream.  He jerkily pulled his sidearm from its holster and took aim at her.  Their eyes met and held for a second.  Then she dismissed him and turned back to the DHD.  She finished entering the glyphs and the wormhole opened with a whoosh.  She walked towards the event horizon then stopped at the sound of a staff weapon being armed.

 

“Do not move,” Teal’c said as he took position between her and the gate.

_“Leave me be Jaffa,”_ she snarled as she aimed her pistol at him.

 

“You will not take Samantha Carter with you.” Sam looked at him, perhaps considering disabling him as she had O’Neill.  Then her eyes flared and she pulled the trigger.  Daniel saw Teal’c fall back through the event horizon propelled by the force of the gunshot.  Sam looked at the gun in her hand as if in horror then she threw it away and turned towards the gate.

 

“Sam NO!!” Daniel screamed again.  She turned towards him and he saw a glimpse of his friend in the enemy before him.

 

“Daniel...?”

 

“Sam.”

 

“Oh God I...” she said as a look of horror crossed her face.

 

“Come on Sam, let’s go back...” His offer ended abruptly as her eyes flared one more time.

_“NO! I will not become a prisoner again,” S_ he cried as she turned towards the shimmering blue circle.  Daniel flashed back to his last sight of Shau’ri.  // No... not again.  It won’t happen again.// he vowed as he pulled the trigger twice.  He saw her stagger and fall into the wormhole.  The gate snapped shut and he was left alone on P6R211.  The silence of the planet was broken only by the sound of sobs as he fell to his knees and mourned the loss of two of his friends.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Jack took a deep breath and promptly sneezed.  He immediately regretted it as the sudden, uncontrollable movement caused pain to shoot through his head.  Muttering a few choice curses he forced his eyes open and tried to make them focus.  He surveyed the landscape struggling to remember exactly where he was. It looked like either Montana or some alien planet.  Since he wasn’t in the habit of running around Earth armed to the teeth, it had to be the latter.  Recent events flooded into his mind and he forced himself to a sitting position, his hands grasping for the comforting feel of his rifle.  He saw Daniel kneeling dejectedly in the gravel.

 

“Daniel?” he called.  No response.  Jack got unsteadily to his feet and walked over to the young man.  “Daniel, where are Carter and Teal’c?” Still no response.  He stood over Daniel and laid his hand on his shoulder.  Something was very wrong.  “Daniel, what happened?” Jack looked down at his friend, taking in the sight of his sidearm loosely held in his grasp.  //Oh crap.// Jack knelt down and removed the weapon from Daniel’s slack hand.  He was shocked to see tears tracking down Daniel’s face.  //This is definitely not good.// Jack shook Daniel’s shoulders and saw him blink a few times.  “Daniel, what happened?” Jack repeated.

 

“Jack... Oh God...”

 

“Daniel, stay with me here.  Where are Carter and Teal’c?”

 

“He tried to stop her... she shot him... he fell through the gate... Oh God Jack I shot her,” Daniel cried.

 

“What?” Jack demanded trying to make sense of Daniel’s ramblings. 

 

Daniel turned his head to meet Jack’s concerned eyes.  “Jack, I SHOT her... as she went through the gate... I tried to stop her...she wouldn’t listen...I couldn’t let her end up like Shau’ri...”

 

Jack thought he knew what happened.  Sam must of shot Teal’c and then Daniel shot her.  //Son of a bitch, could this day get any worse?//  “Daniel, it’s OK.  Did you see where they went?”

 

Daniel looked at Jack, befuddled.  “Huh?”

 

“The address Daniel... did you get the address?”

 

“Aah... yeah, yeah I know where they went, we can go get Teal’c and Sam...” He began, hope rising in his voice. 

 

Jack cut him off.  “No.  Just remember it.”

 

“But Jack...”

 

“Daniel, there may be more of them with the refugees.  Our first priority is Earth.  We’ll secure the SGC, then we’ll go after Carter and Teal’c.”

 

“But Jack, they’re both injured...”

 

“Junior can heal Teal’c and if Carter’s a Goa’uld... well there may be a sarcophagus or something.” //I don’t even want to think about the other options.//

 

“Jack?...” he protested as Jack pulled him to his feet.

 

“Daniel, NO.  I want to go after them too but Earth comes first.  You know that.  And if we blindly follow them to a Goa’uld stronghold, we condemn them, us and the whole planet.”

 

Daniel closed his eyes in resignation and nodded his understanding.  “OK, you’re right.  Let’s get home.”

 

Jack took in the dazed look still on Daniel’s face and stuck the anthropologist’s pistol in his own pocket.  The last thing Daniel needed now was a reminder of recent events.  As Daniel dialed, Jack retrieved Sam’s discarded weapons.  He sent the code and shepherded Daniel through the gate.  //Now it’s official, this day sucked.//

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

Teal’c awoke to the blinding glare of an alien sun.  He bit back a groan and forced himself to sit up as memory mercilessly returned.  His hands felt for and found the reassuring weight of his staff weapon half buried in the sand. He surveyed his surroundings, taking in the barren, desert like landscape dotted with coarse vegetation.  Using his staff as a crutch, he forced himself to his feet, grunting at the pain in his shoulder.  He pushed aside the blood soaked jacket and examined the wound.  He was pleased to note his larva was already healing the injury.  He surveyed his surroundings.  This desert planet did not look familiar.  He cautiously walked towards the DHD.  Perhaps he could return home before the Goa’uld took note of his presence.  He stopped as he saw the crumpled form on the ground at the base of the DHD.  He carefully stooped to examine his teammate.  The back of her jacket was soaked with blood and her breathing was ragged.  O’Neill must of felt there was no hope if he had indeed shot Samantha Carter.  It was obvious only her Goa’uld was keeping her alive, the wound would have been mortal on a normal human.  He carefully picked her up in his arms, struggling to balance both her and his staff weapon.  He decided to return both of them to Earth.  He turned back to the DHD and stopped at the sight of a dozen-armed men.  //As O’Neill would say, this is a bad day.//

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

“Off world activation.  Incoming travelers,” Davis said over the wail of the klaxons. 

Davis turned to her companion.  “Think it’s SG-1? They’re due back in 20 minutes,” she asked. 

 

Davis turned to the brunette officer.  “With the Stanley Cup on tonight? No bet.”

 

She checked her monitor, a small smile creasing her face.  “It’s SG-1’s signal sir...” She stopped, concern crossing her olive complexioned face, “Only two are returning.”

“You’re sure?”

 

She nodded pensively.  “Yes sir, only two travelers en route.”

 

“Great,” Davis muttered as he picked up the phone to call the general.  He immediately returned it to its cradle at the sound of the general descending the stairs.

 

“Who’s coming through?” the older man asked. 

 

Davis responded, not really wanting to report what he had to.  “SG-1 sir... General, we’re only picking up two travelers en route.”

 

General George Hammond gave the sergeant a sharp look.  “You’re sure son?”

 

“Yes sir.  As of right now, there are only two people in the wormhole.”

 

The general sighed and shook his head slightly.  “Get medical down there,” he ordered as he walked down the short flight of stairs to the gate room.  Davis saw Davis pick up the phone to dial the all too familiar number of the infirmary.

 

General Hammond strode into the embarkation room, standing slightly behind the armed Marines on duty as a line of defense against surprises.  He watched Dr. Daniel Jackson and Colonel Jack O’Neill walk through the watery blue event horizon.  //This isn’t good at all.// Jack O’Neill had an almost fanatical obsession with never leaving a man, person, behind.  The general took in the look of profound shock on Jack’s and especially Jackson’s faces.

 

“Colonel... where are Captain Carter and Teal’c?” he asked, hoping not to hear what he was sure was coming. 

 

Jack shot a long look at Daniel, trying to decide between the safety of this base and concern for his friend.  The base won, barely.  “General, we need to talk, in your office.  And Daniel needs to be checked out.”

 

Daniel looked at Jack and shook his head.  “Jack, I’m fine.”

 

“Daniel, humor me.  Go with Frasier.  I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

 

Hammond watched the conversation with trepidation.  He decided to intervene. “Why don’t you both go to the infirmary.” Jack shot him a look, “Colonel, a private examination room will work just as well as my office.”

 

Jack accepted his offer with a grateful look.  He handed the pair of rifles and both pistols to the weapons officer, then almost as an after thought he reached in his jacket pocket and withdrew Daniel’s side arm and handed it over.  The general noted the act, ‘This really isn’t good’ , he thought as he escorted half of SG-1 to the infirmary.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 “State your business Jaffa,” the man snarled, punctuating his request with the arming of his staff weapon. 

 

Teal’c pondered his response for a second, then decided the truth was the best... OK mostly the truth.  “My comrade and I were injured and sent through the gate in error.  We will now leave, if you permit it.” With his words, Teal’c took a step towards the DHD.

 

“Wait.” A younger man stepped forward.

 

“Martouf...” the leader cautioned. 

 

Martouf held up his hand, silently pleading for understanding.  “Your friend is gravely injured.  Permit us to aid her.”

 

“You would endanger us all to aid an unknown human... one accompanied by a Jaffa no less,” the leader spat out, distrust all to evident in his voice.

 

“Perhaps someone will help **_HER,”_** Martouf suggested cryptically.

 

“Thinking with your heart is a quick way to die,” the leader said.

 

“Kordesh, I think not only with my heart but with my head... Selmac?” Understanding flitted across Kordesh’s face as he nodded briefly.

 

“We would offer our aid in saving your friend.  But know this.  I trust no Jaffa.  The slightest attempt to harm any of us will result in your immediate termination.”

 

Teal’c silently followed the exchange.  He desperately wanted to return Samantha Carter to Earth and her friends.  But he also realized her injury was severe enough it would be a miracle if she survived.  And there was still the issue of the Goa’uld, for despite Daniel Jackson’s bravado he knew of no technology on Earth that could remove the creature.  For the time, being alive on an alien planet was preferable to condemning her to death or imprisonment on Earth.  Teal’c nodded his head.  “Very well, I accept your offer.”

 

The one named Martouf stepped forward.  “You are also injured.  Permit me to aid you and carry your friend to our base.”

 

Teal’c recognized the wisdom in the man’s words.  As petite as Captain Carter was, his present injury had weakened him enough there was a chance he may drop her and further stress her body with yet another injury.  Teal’c willingly surrendered his staff weapon.  He turned toward Martouf, ready to hand over his burden.  The young man got a strange introspective look on his face and reached out his hand to lightly touch Sam on the forehead.

 

“Forgive me but...” his quiet voice stopped as a startled look crossed his face.  He met Teal’c’s puzzled gaze, a mixture of amazement and horror crossing his face.  “Jolinar...” he whispered laying his hand more securely across Sam’s head.

 

“Martouf, what?”

 

“Kordesh... it’s Jolinar.” Martouf moved his gaze from Teal’c to Sam and back to Teal’c.  **_“Where is Rosha?”_** he demanded angrily... his eyes glowing.

 

‘By the stars,’ Teal’c thought, ‘they’re all Goa’uld.’

 

“I do not know of the one you call Rosha.”

_“You lie!”_ Kordesh snapped, raising his staff weapon in a manner that spoke of great practice.

 

“Wait,” Martouf said.  “Both are injured and this Jaffa possesses none of the trappings of his brethren.”

 

“Martouf...” Kordesh warned. 

 

Martouf gently removed Sam from Teal’c’s grasp and turned to the older man.  “Jolinar does not have time for us to argue.  Her and this host will die.  I am aware of the risks Kordesh.  It is possible this man has returned Jolinar to us, apparently at great personal peril.  The least he deserves is for us to with hold judgment until Jolinar can tell us what has transpired.”

 

Kordesh hesitated a moment, then reluctantly gave the order to stand down. 

 

“She will determine your fate.  And if Jolinar reveals you have harmed her, I will carry out your execution personally Jaffa.” Teal’c nodded his agreement and the party walked away from the gate.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“So Colonel, you’re telling me Captain Carter has been possessed by a Goa’uld, and that both her and Teal’c gated to an unknown planet, apparently both injured.”

 

“Yes sir,” Jack agreed, shooting a concerned glance over at Daniel.  The young man was sitting on the edge of a gurney, still pale and dazed but allowing Dr. Frasier to examine him.  That had Jack worried.  If what he guessed was right, Daniel had SHOT Sam.  The guy who refused to carry a rifle.  Who only wore his pistol because Jack refused to let him go through the gate without one.  Even getting him to carry the pistol only came about after Jack laid out for him a dozen grisly scenarios illustrating how having the rest of the team have to protect Daniel would endanger everyone.  The same Daniel who still had the annoying habit of just walking up to aliens, hands outstretched with his ‘I’m a good guy...you won’t hurt me.’ look on his face.

 

Turning his attention back to the General, Jack continued.  “Teal’c... Teal’c thought there may be more of them among the Nasyians.  We need to examine every refugee sir.  Also every one here and at the hospital.  If there is a Goa’uld and he gets out in the general population...” Jack let the dire thought trail off.

 

“I’ll call the hospital immediately, lock it down.  We’ll get MRI’s on every one.” Hammond turned to leave.

 

“Sir?” He turned back to Jack.  “About Carter and Teal’c...”

 

“You said yourself Captain Carter was possessed by a Goa’uld and Teal’c was injured.”

 

“All the more reason not to abandon...”

 

“Colonel, if there is indeed a Goa’uld or Goa’ulds running loose on Earth, that is a far greater concern than two lost members of the SGC.”

 

“Sir, permission to mount a rescue...”

 

“Negative.” Hammond cut him off sharply.  “Son, we’ve probably lost two good people today, I will not risk more on what is most likely a fool’s mission.”

 

“General, with all due respect...”

 

Hammond cut him off again, this time steel in his voice.  “Colonel, unless you can prove to me these two people can be rescued with NO further risk to this facility, Captain Carter and Teal’c are on their own.  With their combined knowledge potentially in enemy hands, we’ve already been compromised very baldly.  As of right now both of them are MIA, their iris codes are locked out.  They are on their own.”

 

“General...” Jack raised his voice. 

 

Hammond raised his hand in a final gesture.  “Colonel O’Neill, unless you can give me a very good reason... my orders stand!”

 

Jack locked his jaw and closed his eyes in mute resignation.  He gave a quick nod of acceptance and heard the general leave the infirmary.

 

“Jack?”

 

He opened his eyes to see a still pale and shaky Daniel standing beside him.  “He’s writing them off, isn’t he?” Daniel asked quietly.

 

“You heard the general, Daniel,” Jack said monotone, “We can’t risk a whole planet for two people.”

 

“Jack, these aren’t two people, they’re Sam and Teal’c...”

 

Anger flashed across Jack’s face.  “Dammit, Daniel, don’t you think I know exactly who it is!!” he yelled as he hopped off the bed, silencing Frasier’s protest with a lethal glare.  “We have our orders,” he said coldly as he stalked from the room, scattering medical personnel like leaves before a whirlwind.

 

Daniel watched his best friend leave the room.  He felt the gentle touch of Janet’s hand on his arm.  Daniel turned to her,

 

“This’ll kill him.  Not just losing two people but not being allowed to rescue...” Daniel raked his hand through his hair.  “Janet he won’t deal with this.  It’ll destroy him.”

 

“Both of them,” she said quietly.  Daniel turned to her, a quizzical look on his face.  “Sam... well the general and her father go way back.  Cutting her off is like abandoning his own child.”

 

“Does Jack know?”

 

Janet shook her head.  “No.  No one around here does.”

 

“So by cutting Sam off...” Daniel began.

 

“Hammond’s going to have to tell an old friend he lost his only daughter on a classified mission.  So there will be no details, no explanation.”

 

Daniel closed his eyes, raked his hands through his hair again and sighed.  “Janet...a Goa’uld...it can help heal a host right?”

 

Janet nodded, “Of course.  It should heal most injuries.  I suppose there are some it won’t heal.  The Goa’uld wouldn’t have sarcophagi if the symbiote could heal everything. You know this Daniel. Why do you ask?”

 

Daniel closed his eyes, then muttered so softly Janet had to strain to hear him, “I shot her.”

 

“What?” Janet asked, not quite believing what she just heard.

 

“Sam.  Just as she escaped through the gate.  I ...Janet I’ve shot...but this was...is Sam.  Oh God, I may have killed her.”  Janet’s heart plunged.  Oh my God, this was worse than she’d imagined.  Daniel...shoot someone?  If it wasn’t for Shau’ri, she’d doubted he could of brought himself to shoot a Jaffa bent on killing him.  But to shoot a friend... 

 

  1. “You know Daniel, the general did give you a way out.”



 

“Huh?”

 

“Sometimes I forget you’re a civilian.  You don’t know how to read between the lines.  Hammond said there would be no rescue **WITHOUT A GOOD REASON**.”

 

Daniel turned to Janet, hope beginning to spark in his blue eyes.  “A good reason...”

 

“You said Sam called herself a Tok’ra?” Daniel nodded.

 

“Whatever that is. She said they fought the Goa’uld.”

 

“Daniel I doubt the Tok’ra are a recent development.  There must be evidence of them some where.  Find it, prove to Hammond there is a chance and you’ll have your rescue.”

“Find it... yeah... thanks Doc,” Daniel muttered as he walked from the infirmary, his mind already searching through years of remembered research for a clue.

 

Dr.  Frasier watched him go promising herself to check on him in a few hours.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Teal’c stood back, watching Martouf wield the healing device.  He saw the warm orange light bathe Sam’s blood covered back.  Teal’c saw the seeping bullet hole right below her shoulder blade begin to close and heard her breathing ease.  The device snapped off and Martouf stood back.

 

“She will sleep now,” he said.

 

“Would her symbiote not have healed her?” Teal’c asked. 

 

Martouf shook his head as he reached down to gently stoke Sam’s hair.  “Jolinar tried... but both she and your friend are very weak.” He turned to meet Teal’c’s gaze.  “Do you know how Jolinar came to be blended with your friend?”

 

“I do not.  Nor do I believe the blending was consensual.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I very much doubt Samantha Carter is a willing host.”

 

Martouf bristled.  _“Jolinar would not force a host,”_ he said, his eyes glowing with pique.

“Perhaps not normally.  I have known Captain Carter for over a year.  It is highly unlikely she would be a host, and if she had agreed... she would have gained the approval of her superiors.  Before we came here, it seemed she and Jolinar were fighting for control.”

 

Martouf shook his head, and sighed.  “If Jolinar did force your friend... I do apologize to you and especially to her.  I am sure if she did act so desperately the situation must have been especially grave.”

 

“That is one of many questions we will answer when she awakens,” Teal’c said as he reached down to pull a light blanket over Sam’s unconscious form.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

General George Hammond hung up the phone after carefully writing down the information he’d requested from the Pentagon.  The phone number and address mocked him.  Such a tiny bit of information, a small assortment of letters and numbers.  All he had to do was complete the necessary phone call and tell Jacob the three little letters that would destroy his life.  He stared at the small piece of paper then pushed it aside to look at the file he’d pulled from his file cabinet.  He looked at the picture of Samantha Carter.  He closed his eyes and remembered first meeting the young woman years ago at her mother’s funeral.  Even though he knew she would one day become part of the SGC, he had a difficult time reconciling the sad, gangly child to his memories of the self assured woman he met in 1969.  He held on to those memories.  Surely history hadn’t been changed.  If Sam was here she could explain it to him.  Of course if she were here, he wouldn’t be having these thoughts.  Another damn paradox.  SG-1’s trip into the past hadn’t happened yet, so she had to still be alive and able to come back.  That thought allowed him to push the piece of paper into her file and return the file to its place in his cabinet.  Just a few months ago he’d contemplated the same problem when she and Jack O’Neill had been lost in the Antarctic.  He’d waited then, surely he could wait now.  But how long? Jacob deserved to know.  A week.  Surely if she and Teal’c could return they would in a week.  Please God let Jackson and O’Neill come up with a solution.  He closed his eyes thinking half-forgotten prayers as he hoped for a miracle.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

A small moan caused Teal’c to open his eyes.  He was sitting on the floor beside Samantha Carter’s side.  Martouf left a few hours ago, he had noted the time displayed on the watch on Samantha Carter’s wrist.  He got to his feet and sat beside his friend on the bed.  He watched her slowly open her eyes, scanning the room.  Relief crossed her face as she focused on Teal’c.  She reached out a hand and grasped his arm.

 

“Teal’c... what?” she asked weakly as she struggled to sit up. 

 

Teal’c placed a gentle restraining hand on her shoulder.  “It would be best if you did not move much.  You were injured.”

 

She resisted him a bit, then a flicker of pain crossed her face and she closed her eyes and lay back down.  “What happened? Where are the colonel and Daniel?”

 

“What do you remember?” he asked, evading the latter question. 

 

Her brow furrowed as she struggled to organize scattered memories.  “I’m... aah... really not sure.  Things are confusing... I...” her eyes settled on his blood stained jacket.  He watched horror cross her face.  “I shot you didn’t I?... there’s a ... Oh my God I’ve got a Goa’uld...”

 

Teal’c watched his friend lose herself in panic. “Captain Carter!” he said sharply as he shook her gently.  “Please let me explain.  You do not have a Goa’uld, it is a Tok’ra.  It did not mean to harm you.  Do not upset yourself further.  Your injuries are very severe.  You can do yourself great harm.” He felt her grab his arms tightly as she struggled to calm herself. 

 

She closed her eyes and fought to control her breathing. “OK, OK explain this,” she requested. 

 

“As near as we can piece together there was a Tok’ra on Nasyia.  It must have left a dying host and blended with you.  There was no sign present or Dr. Frasier would never have let you leave Earth.  Once we gated to P6R211 your symbiote took control in an effort to come here.  You kept saying you wanted to come home.”

 

Sam nodded as her eyes focused far away.  “I remember.  There was a man, he was dying... something in my mouth.”

 

“Did he talk to you, ask you to be a host?”

 

Sam shook her head.  “No he was dying... he...” her voice trailed off.

 

“I do apologize,” a quiet voice said from the doorway. 

Sam turned her head to see the speaker.  Martouf walked into the room and also sat on the bed.  Sam closed her eyes and nodded her head.  _“Martouf,”_ she said, her voice resonating with the dual tones of a host. 

 

“Yes Jolinar, I am here.”

 

Sam let go of Teal’c’s arms and instead grasped a hold of Martouf’s, pulling herself into his arms.  _“I was so afraid I would not make it here.  The Ash’rak was so persistent.”_

 

“You are here and you are safe now.  That is what matters,” he said as he held Jolinar close. 

 

Teal’c stood up to give the two, or was it four, some privacy. 

 

Sensing the movement, Jolinar lifted her head from Martouf’s shoulder.  _“Teal’c, I am sorry I shot you.”_

 

Teal’c turned back to the couple.

 

“Jolinar, you shot him? Was he trying to hurt you?” Martouf asked, concern in his voice. 

Jolinar shook her head emphatically.  _“No, he was merely trying to stop me from taking his friend from him.  They had no idea if I was Tok’ra or Goa’uld.  The Tau’ri have no knowledge of us,”_ she explained.

 

“Your host is Tau’ri?”

_“Yes.  They discovered the Chaapa’ai and have been using it to explore for many months.  Martouf, these are who destroyed Ra.  They also destroyed Apophis’ and Klorel’s ships,”_ she explained. 

 

Martouf looked at her in amazement, then his eyes flared in anger.  _“What? They killed Tavi and Lynate,”_ he said.

_“Lantash, they had no choice.  Apophis was poised to destroy their world.”_

 

“I must tell Garshaw.  She will want know.” Martouf said.  He looked at the woman in his arms and stroked her face.  “And you must rest.  Both you and your host are still weak.”

 

Jolinar nodded.  _“Martouf, you must find me another host.”_

 

“Jolinar...” he began to protest. 

 

She placed her fingers over his lips to silence him.  _“No.  This woman, Samantha, she has a life, friends and family she is not ready to leave behind.  If I stay within her, it will not be good for either of us.  Her heart is tied to Earth.  To stay with us will eventually destroy her.  You MUST find me a new host.”_

 

Martouf looked at her, doubt in his eyes.  “I will speak to Garshaw,” he said as he laid her back onto the bed. 

 

She grasped onto his arm.  _“Promise me Martouf, Lantash.  Find me a new host.  I can not remain here.”_

 

Martouf’s eyes flashed and he nodded.  “Sleep now.  I will return shortly.” Jolinar closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.  Martouf met Teal’c’s eyes. 

 

“I will remain with Samantha Carter.  She will need a familiar face,” Teal’c said.

 

Martouf nodded.  “I will send you food and some clean clothes.”

 

Teal’c nodded his thanks and watched the young man leave the room.  He reclaimed his former place on the floor and tried to meditate. 

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

It was four a.m. and Jack O’Neill was tired.  After his confrontation with Hammond, Jack retreated to his office for a while.  Then, no longer able to be in the same room with his thoughts, he started to walk.  Seventeen levels and a dozen hours later he now knew those rumors about the storage room on level 18 were true, the floating craps game was on level 16 tonight and someone really did tap into NORAD’s satellite link- ups and pipe HBO and ShowTime into the rec. room on level 23.  He figured he’d walked about 10 miles of monotonous gray corridor and his head and bruised ribs were killing him, not to mention his trick knee.  Of course none of these facts made the day’s events any better.  A tiny part of him wanted to go home, to run away.  But he couldn’t, not when there was a chance Carter and Teal’c could return. 

 

He stopped his wanderings as he passed Teal’c’s room.  The door was ajar and a light was on.  //By God, if the vultures are already circling...// Tamping down his mounting anger he eased the door open.  He stopped at the sight of Daniel sprawled across Teal’c’s bed, surrounded by dozens of notebooks.

 

“Oh for crying out loud,” he muttered as he continued into the room, shutting the door behind him.  Jack sat next to Daniel and pulled a notebook from his limp hands.  As he did so he realized Daniel hadn’t changed clothes since returning from the planet.  It looked like he’d come straight here from the infirmary.  Damn, he hadn’t realized their friendship was that close.  He started to wake the man then stopped.  Teal’c rarely used the bed even when he was here, and he certainly wouldn’t mind Daniel catching a few Z’s.  Jack propped up a pillow against the headboard and leaned back, deciding to wait for Daniel to wake up.  He needed to talk to him.  Jack remembered how Daniel was eaten up with guilt when he blamed himself for not immediately figuring out there was a second gate on Earth.  And there was that whole Hathor thing. That was a whole set of memories Jack really didn’t want to revisit any time soon. Hell, Daniel had even apologized when Jack had to shoot Skaara/Klorel to keep the boy from frying Daniel’s brain.  God only knew how he’d deal with shooting one of his best friends.  To be honest with himself, Jack didn’t even know if he could have pulled the trigger.  Space Monkey may be a geek, but he could be a ballsy geek when he had to be. 

 

Knowing sleep would continue to elude him, Jack opened the notebook and began to read.

 

The first thing he noticed was that the notebooks weren’t written in Daniel’s tiny, almost frantic scrawl.  These words were written neatly, almost obsessively neat, as if the writer was concentrating on forming each letter perfectly.  The neat print almost reminded him of Charlie’s childish writing.  Turning the page, he realized that not everything was in English.  Scattered words were in a different language.  There was even a hieroglyph or two in the margins.  These weren’t Daniel’s journals, they were Teal’c’s.  //I didn’t even know the big guy was keeping a journal.// Son of a bitch... now he remembered.  Daniel told him a few months ago Teal’c wanted to learn to read and write English.  These journals must be some kind of project or something.  Feeling like a voyeur, yet intensely interested, he began to seriously read the small wire bound book.

 

Three hours later, Jack was filled with a mixture of admiration and almost pity for his alien friend.  Through out the years, Jack had done many things he wasn’t proud of.  Things that haunted him in the wee hours of the night. Things he definitely wouldn’t ever till his grandkids...assuming he ever had any.  But his many dubious acts were a pale imitation of Teal’c’s actions over the past fifty-plus years of service to Apophis.  He wrote with a clinical coldness that unmercifully laid out his actions, with no thought given to explanation or apology.  If Hammond had known all his actions, he probably would have chucked Teal’c off the top of Cheyenne Mountain.  Hell, some of Apophis’ atrocities made Hitler look like a juvenile delinquent.  But scattered among the gruesome stories were long buried tales of fantastical planets, mythical beings and most promising, tales of the Tok’ra.  This had to be what Daniel was searching for.  Jack remembered Carter saying the snake in her head was a Tok’ra.  As Jack read the accounts of the legendary resistance fighters he felt an easing of his despair of a few hours ago.  If even part of these stories were true, there was a chance to save his friends.  Now he just had to figure out how.  He sure as hell couldn’t depend on Hammond to authorize a rescue and since their little trip to save Earth a few weeks ago, security had been noticeably tightened around the control room. 

 

Jack eased himself off the bed, taking the journal with him.  He had some serious planning to do and only a few hours to figure out how to shanghai the gate again.  //Damn I could sure use Carter’s help.//

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam opened her eyes and stared at the crystalline blue ceiling for a minute trying to remember exactly where she was.  Memory returned far too quickly and she sat up, her eyes surveying the spartan chamber.

 

“Captain Carter?”

 

She focused her eyes on the Jaffa sitting on the floor.  The relief she felt upon seeing him was almost overwhelming.

 

“Teal’c.”

 

“How do you feel?” he asked as he got to his feet and sat beside her on the bed.

 

“You mean other than hosting my own private alien invasion and getting shot in the back by Daniel? Actually pretty good.”

 

At her words, Teal’c’s eyebrows threatened to crawl off the top of his head.  “Daniel Jackson shot you?”

 

Sam gave him a small rueful grin.  “Yeah.  Guess all the time the colonel’s spent with him on the gun range paid off.” Sam got a sheepish look on her face.  “What about you?”

 

“My larvae has already healed the wound.”

 

“Good.  How long was I out?”

 

“Approximately 12 Earth hours.”

 

“Wow.  Did I miss anything exciting?”

 

Teal’c shook his head.  “The Tok’ra Martouf has brought us sustenance and,” he motioned towards his chest, “a change of clothing.”

 

Sam looked closely and noticed Teal’c was no longer wearing his torn and bloodstained T-shirt, rather another black shirt that actually looked close enough to pass for his ruined uniform. 

 

“There are also facilities we may use if you wish to bathe and change into clean clothes.”

Noting her own uniform was uncomfortably stiff with dried blood, Sam nodded.  She swung her feet over the edge of the bed realizing someone must have taken off her boots.  She stood up unsteadily and reached an arm towards Teal’c as the room began to spin. 

 

“Whoa.”

 

Teal’c grabbed her arm to steady her.  “Are you all right?”

 

“Yeah, just dizzy.”

 

“That is to be expected.  You lost a substantial amount of blood.  If you permit, I will escort you to the bathing chamber.”

 

“Yeah, thanks.”

 

Teal’c paused to pick up a bundle of clothes off the floor, then supported his friend as they walked into the hallway.

 

“Jolinar has remained... quiescent?”

 

Sam nodded, finishing the last of her meal.  “But she’s still there... I mean I can feel her, physically and mentally, but she hasn’t taken control... since the last time.  She said remaining dormant would make the separation easier.”

 

Teal’c nodded solemnly.  “I do not wish to pry, but what is it like?”

 

“Having a go... symbiote?”

 

Teal’c nodded.  “If you wish to speak of it.”

 

Sam leaned back against the wall wiped her fingers on her borrowed pants, noting the contrast between the pale color of the breadcrumbs and the rich blue of the pants.  The paler blue, loose fitting top was very comfortable, as was the boot like footwear she’d been given.  She took a sip of the provided water, wishing it were something far stronger.  “It’s... aah... really weird.  There are these memories... LOTS of memories.  I think I know nearly everyone here.  I mean I knew the address to this planet.  And it’s not one of the ones in the Abydos map room.  I remember Rosha, she was Jolinar’s host before Carna and me.  I remember her 16th birthday... or her planet’s equivalent.  I remember Carna and Thalia’s wedding... the birth of his child.  I can feel him dying, Rosha dying... Did you know Jolinar and Martouf are married?” At Teal’c’s shake she continued, “Some of these memories are... pretty interesting.  Centuries of battles, plans, planets... they’re all floating around in my head.  I mean I can’t even recall what I had for lunch last Thursday, if I even had lunch, but I can remember a thousand sunsets on a hundred planets.  I remember when Apophis was a minor irritation.  I think I... she... actually saw you, years ago.”

 

“It is certainly possible my and Jolinar’s paths have crossed.”

 

Sam sighed.  “Well I wish hers and mine hadn’t.”

 

“Surely you do not regret your joining?” a quiet voice spoke from the doorway.  “I heard you had a new host Jolinar.  I came to meet the Tau’ri who has a Jaffa for a friend.”

Sam and Teal’c got to their feet as the woman walked across the chamber and sat on the bed, smoothing her loose pink caftan over her lap.

 

“Selmac and Sarouche?” Sam asked tentatively. 

 

The elderly woman nodded, apparently pleased with Sam’s recollection.  “Yes.  I’m glad you remember me.  Please sit.  I know you and Jolinar have been through quite a bit in the past few days.”

 

Sam sat beside the woman with Teal’c standing behind her.

 

“Martouf is most concerned about you.  Do you know he’s been inconsolable ever since Jolinar and Rosha disappeared a few months ago? Garshaw almost had to physically restrain him to keep him from tearing the galaxy apart looking for you.”

 

Sam got a small, introspective look on her face.  “I seem to remember Jolinar doing the same thing once or twice.”

 

“Why do you speak of Jolinar leaving you? Surely before you blended she told you hosts and symbiotes can not be exchanged upon a whim?”

 

“The Tok’ra Jolinar did not seek Samantha Carter’s permission to blend with her,” Teal’c stated. 

 

Sarouche looked from the Jaffa to the young woman sitting beside her.  “She did not ask permission, explain the joining, speak to you at all?”

 

“No.  Her host, Carna, was dying.  I tried to help him and Jolinar jumped into me.  She... aah... took control and made me come here.”

 

“Martouf said nothing of this.  He was merely concerned that you are having a difficult time adjusting to the blending.”

 

“Look I’m OK with this... blending... right now.  All I want is for Martouf to find a new host for Jolinar so I can get back to my life.”

 

Sarouche got a puzzled look on her kind face.  “He said nothing of a new host.  Only to help you.”

 

Sam’s eyes flashed as Jolinar took control.  _“ **WHAT?** He promised he would speak to Garshaw about finding me a new host.  I CAN NOT remain in this woman.  I have given her my word I will leave her so she can return to her home.”_

 

Sarouche’s eyes flashed as Selmac joined the conversation.  _“Jolinar, such a separation is difficult at the best of times.  You have been in three hosts in a very short period.  Your physical resources are depleted.  It would be extremely dangerous for you to separate.”_

_“Selmac, I am no stranger to dangerous acts.  This host saved my life on Nasyia.  I will not take hers from her, no matter what Martouf may wish.”_

 

Teal’c placed a gentle, restraining hand on Sam’s shoulder.  “With respect Selmac, Jolinar, perhaps Martouf’s long and intimate relationship with Jolinar is clouding his judgment.”

 

Selmac nodded in agreement.  _“I would, however, expect Lantash to, for lack of a better word, control him better.”_ Turning to Sam, _“You have my word dear, I will speak to Garshaw.  For now Jolinar, rest.  You will need all of your strength, not only for the separation, but also to deal with your mate,”_ She stated wryly.

 

Sam’s head nodded as Jolinar retreated.  “Whoa, it’s strange when she does that.”

 

“You must rest as well Samantha.  The separation will be just as difficult for you.  Every day that passes, your body will grow to depend on the strength imbued by Jolinar.  Your youth and the short time you have been blended are in your favor.  For Selmac and I... a separation would be fatal to me.  It would be the same for most of us.  I respect your wish to return home, but if I know Jolinar, she has glossed over the dangers.”

 

Sam nodded.  “I understand... and I mean no disrespect, but I really want to go home.”

 

“Very well.  I shall return when I have news.” She got to her feet and Sam and Teal’c watched her leave the chamber.

 

“I should have known Martouf would lie.  I thought Lantash was more reasonable.”

 

“Samantha Carter, you had no way of knowing...”

 

He stopped as Sam shot him a look.  “Oh yes I did Teal’c,” she said wryly.  “Martouf loves Jolinar almost to the point of obsession.”

 

“Perhaps you should follow Selmac’s advice and rest.”

 

Sam nodded and lay back on the bed, sleep claiming her in minutes.  Teal’c reclaimed his seat on the floor.  Meditation again eluded him.  He contented himself with resting his body as his mind struggled through troubling scenarios of a lovesick man who could lose his mate once again.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thousands of light years away, Jack O’Neill faced the same problem as he forced himself to lie back on his bunk and rest.  Over the years, necessity had taught him how to rest his body even while his mind refused to shut down.  To an observer, he looked peacefully asleep.  In reality, his brain was ruthlessly checking and rechecking his plan. 

 

Fortunately being second in command of this facility made his planned infiltration easier.  Using his clearance, and ready to claim he and Daniel were going to get some more weapons practice, Jack had already checked out 2 MP-5’s, both his and Daniel’s sidearms and a small assortment of grenades. Jack knew he would never forget the sick look on Daniel’s face when he handed him his gun.  Only Jack’s reminder that they were going after a Goa’uld, no matter who its host was, is all that convinced Daniel to carry the gun again.

 

Originally he’d planned for this to be a solo OP.  That, of course, had been before he was cornered by a furious Daniel who promptly reminded Jack only he knew the address to the world Carter and Teal’c went to.  Of course Daniel, in his naiveté, thought they should go to Hammond with Teal’c’s information and get the general to authorize a full-fledged rescue mission.  Maybe... just maybe Hammond would authorize the mission.  Maybe was just too big of a risk.  A risk Jack wasn’t willing to take. 

 

Giving up on playing possum, he left his room and made his way around the SGC, nonchalantly wracking his brain for anything he’d missed.  As he walked he was assailed by memories.  The first time he saw Teal’c, and the man killing his own men to save innocent lives.  Carter putting Kowalski and Ferretti in their places in the briefing room.  Carter and Daniel happily chatting about stellar drift in the map room on Abydos, one brilliant mind feeding the other.  The look on Teal’c’s face when a naked Ernest hugged him.  The wide-eyed avoidance of the same man by a furiously blushing Carter.  Her trying to jump his bones in the locker room.  How he was FINALLY able to render her speechless with his slightly out of line comment about her sweet little tank top.  Her indignation over that blue dress.  Teal’c’s love for Ry’ac.  His willingness to remain imprisoned in the labyrinth to preserve Thor’s Hammer for future de-Goa’uldings.  Carter’s stubborn refusal to leave Cassandra and even him to die alone. 

 

Nope.  Better to risk a court-martial later than a refusal now.  He checked the duty roster.  Three teams were off world with none due to return for at least 48 hours.  That meant there would be a skeleton staff on the graveyard shift.  Only one or two people at most in the control room.  He told Daniel to be ready to leave at 0300.  Now all he had to do was figure out a nice, non-violent way to disable the staff in the control room.  No need to add aggravated assault to his court-martial.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Daniel, mind if I come in?”

 

Daniel looked up from the research he really wasn’t focusing on, to see Dr.  Frasier lurking in his doorway.  “Janet, no please, come in.  What... aah... can I do for you?”

Janet Frasier walked into Daniel’s cluttered office and sat on a stool beside him.

 

“Well since you seem to be our resident expert on the SGC issued med. kits, I thought SG-1 should field test this,” she said placing a medium sized bag on his desk. 

 

Daniel picked it up.  “Wow, this is larger than normal.  What have you got in here, a portable OR?”

 

Janet smiled.  “No.  Actually we’ve added some stronger pain killers, a universal blood substitute and some tranquilizer pens.”

 

“Tranq pens?”

 

“Same basic premise as epi pens for strong allergic reactions or anaphylactic shock, but these carry a mild tranquilizer.  Enough to knock down a human for about an hour.  After reviewing Hathor’s tests, I think two or three of these might just take down a Goa’uld, for a few minutes at least,” she said innocently. 

 

Little warning bells began to go off in Daniel’s head.  “Janet, SG-1 probably won’t be going on a mission for a while.  I mean we’ve got to replace Sam and Teal’c,” he said cautiously. 

 

Janet stood up casually, too casually.  “Oh I know.  Just thought I’d deliver this to you before I forgot.” She turned to leave the room.  “Oh and good luck.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“On getting SG-1 back to full strength,” she tossed over her shoulder as she left the room.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

The sound of raised voices and frantic footsteps woke Sam from her slumber.  She opened her eyes and sat up, seeing Teal’c standing in the doorway.

 

“Teal’c, what’s going on?” she asked, getting up and walking over to him.

 

“I am not certain.  I hear people speaking about an attack.”

 

“Here?” Sam asked anxiously.

 

“No.  It is on another Tok’ra controlled planet.  Survivors have been evacuated here.”

 

“Maybe we should go, see if we can help.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Daniel, you hang back,” Jack said, handing him his gear.

 

“Jack?”

 

“Let me secure the control room... then I’ll call you to dial it up.”

 

Daniel nodded and tried to look innocent.  Of course that wasn’t easy to do dressed for a mission, carrying enough armament for two at three in the morning.

 

Jack walked into the control room, cautiously scanning the room while trying not to LOOK like he was scanning the room.  “Graveyard shift again Simmons?” he asked the young man as he motioned for him to remain seated.

 

“Aah... yes sir, Colonel.  Finch didn’t feel well so I volunteered to work for her.”

 

Jack grunted in response and walked around the room.

 

“Insomnia sir?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Simmons pointed weakly towards his watch.  “It’s 0315 sir.  The only visitors I usually get are fighting insomnia.”

 

“Yeah.  Couldn’t sleep.” Jack stopped by a small table in the corner, picking up one of the small devices lying on top of it. 

 

“Lieutenant, what are these remote transmitters doing here? Shouldn’t they be locked up?”

 

Simmons got up and walked over to Jack.  “Yes sir, normally.”

 

“Normally?”

 

“Well sir since Captain Carter’s and Teal’c’s transmitters were lost and their codes locked out... well SG-1 needs new codes so I volunteered to do it.  There’s not too much else to do.”

 

Jack nodded and picked up the piece of paper lying beside the devices.  “This our new code?”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

“Well that’s good to know.”

 

“Yes sir... Colonel sir...” he began tentatively. 

 

Jack looked up at him.  “What is it Lieutenant?”

 

“I hate to ask this... but sir could I ask you a favor?”

 

“What?”

 

“I really need a cup of coffee.  I can’t leave the control room unattended... Sir I don’t suppose you could watch it for me while I get some?”

 

//Jack my boy, you just hit the jackpot.// Fighting to keep a look of bland indifference in his face Jack replied.  “Sure Simmons.  Got nothing better to do,” he said as he claimed Simmons’ vacated chair.  “Knock your self out.”

 

“Great, thank you sir.  I usually need to make a fresh pot.  It’ll probably take me 15 minutes or so... if that’s OK with you sir.”

 

“Like I said, I’m in no hurry.” Jack watched the man leave the room, not quite believing his good fortune.  He counted to thirty then quickly stepped into the hallway to pull Daniel into the room.  “Dial it up Daniel,” he ordered as he retrieved his gear and put it on. 

 

Daniel sat down, pulling his notebook from his pocket.  “Just let me look it up.”

 

“No, dial up P6R211.”

 

“But..”

 

“Daniel, we’ll go there first, then follow Carter.  That way the SGC can’t track us.  Here put this on,” he said handing Daniel a transmitter.

 

“But our code...”

 

“Has already been changed.”

 

“That’s lucky.  Last time they didn’t assign a new code until our next mission.  By the way what did you tell Simmons to get him to leave?”

 

“Nothing.  He wanted a cup of coffee.”

 

“So?”

 

“So he had to go get one.”

 

“Why? Is the machine broken?”

 

“No, it’s in the commissary.”

 

Daniel frowned.  “No.  There’s one in the corner.  Has been for months.”

 

Jack looked in the far corner and saw there was indeed a small coffee maker.  “Well I’ll be damned.”  //Always knew Graham was a smart kid.//

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’ll tell you later.  Dial.”

 

“Give me a minute.  I got to turn off the alarms.  Sam’s better at this than I am.” Daniel typed furiously and the gate began to spin.  “OK.  That’s it.”

 

“Sweet.  Let’s go.” Both men hurried down to the gate room as the ancient machine finished dialing and the wormhole opened with a whoosh.  As they stepped up the ramp, Jack looked back to make sure their departure was going unnoticed.  His heart almost stopped as he saw the form of the general staring through the briefing room window.  He saw the older man nod his head.  //Well, whatta you know?// Jack snapped off a jaunty salute then he and Daniel stepped across the event horizon.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hammond sighed as he saw the remainder of SG-1 leave Earth. 

 

“God speed son, bring them home.” He turned from the window and went into his office.  If he was going to say he had been doing paperwork all night he better have something to show for it.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Sam and Teal’c walked through the corridors, following the flow of refugees.  As they neared a doorway, raised voices caused both to stop in their tracks.

_“Martouf, three of our operatives are unaccounted for.  We must leave this planet and find another.  We have been compromised.”_

 

“I agree Garshaw.  I just do not wish to leave Jolinar.  Surely someone else can scout?”

 

“ _If I could send another I would but you have visited Betan before.  It would be best if you request sanctuary for us.”_

 

“Garshaw, my mate has returned after months away.  She has a new host who is having a difficult time adjusting to the blending.  I must be with her.”

_“Martouf, if we can not find a safe haven, you, Jolinar and all of us may die.”_

_“We will go,”_ Lantash said, asserting control.  _“Martouf will understand in time.”_

 

Sam and Teal’c stepped back as Lantash came out of the room.  Seeing them, he stopped. 

_“Samantha, you heard?”_

 

“Yes.”

 

Lantash nodded.  _“Good.  Tell Jolinar I will return when I can.”_

 

“She knows.”

 

Lantash smiled, then met Teal’c’s gaze.  _“Jaffa... Teal’c... I ask you to care for my mate.  And your friend.  If the Goa’uld find us, evacuations can be extremely dangerous times.”_

 

“I will guard this person,” Teal’c said carefully.

_“Your devotion is dwarfed only by your honor Jaffa.”_ Turning to Sam, Lantash gave her a kiss on the cheek.  _“Until we meet again.”_

 

“Good luck Lantash, Martouf.” She and Teal’c watched the man disappear into the crush of people.  She shrugged at Teal’c then walked into the room.  Garshaw, Selmac and several others Sam recognized as members of the council stood around a table, discussing future plans. 

 

Sensing their presence Garshaw looked up.  _“Jolinar, Samantha, you should be in your chambers resting.”_

 

“We heard the commotion.  We wondered if we could help?”

 

Garshaw answered with a smile on her face.  _“No my dear.  We have helped all the injured.  Our plans to move on are precautionary only.”_

 

“A wise precaution if you are Garshaw of Beliote,” Teal’c stated.

_“I am.”_

 

He nodded solemnly.  “Before I left Apophis the bounty for your capture was a most... respectable one.”

_“Indeed...”_ The rest of her reply was cut off by a voice at the door.

_“Garshaw?”_

_“Yes Kordesh.”_

 

He walked into the room leading a young brunette woman.  _“This is Marisa.  Her husband and children perished in the attack.  She wishes to offer herself as a host.”_

Garshaw walked over to the grief-stricken woman.  “Why do you want to do this?” Yosef asked.

 

“I have just seen my children die.  I held my husband in my arms as his lifeblood spilled onto the ground.  I was helpless to prevent it.  Kordesh told me you fight the demons that murdered my family.  If I join your fight, I can avenge them.”

 

“You realize if you become a host, it is for life.  You and your symbiote will never be apart.  He will share your grief, but you will also share his.  Your life span will be doubled.  And personal vengeance may never be attained.  All of us have combined millennia of wrongs to right.  The greater good will ALWAYS come first.”

 

Marisa nodded.  “Kordesh has told me this.  I wish to become a host.”

_“Very well,”_ Garshaw agreed.  Turning back to the council, _“Selmac...”_

 

The elderly woman held up her hand.  _“Garshaw, Jolinar needs this host.”_

 

Garshaw walked closer to her friend.  _“Selmac, Sarouche is ill.  Soon your efforts will not be enough to keep her going.”_

_“We will find me a host.”_ Selmac said, then lowering her voice to a whisper she confided,

 _“I was hoping to spend some time as a male,”_ she joked.  _“And I promised Samantha she would be free.”_

_“I hope you know what you are doing my friend.”_ Turning her attention to Sam and Teal’c who had silently been watching the drama unfold _.  “Return to your chamber my dear.  I will summon the healers.”_

 

Sam walked to Selmac and impulsively gave the woman a hug.  “Thank you,” she said.

 

~~~~~

 

“Marisa, you and Samantha must both lie down.” The two women did as the healer instructed.  “Samantha, Jolinar will leave you in the same manner in which she blended.  I will catch her as she emerges and help her over to Marisa.  Marisa, a Tok’ra enters its host through the mouth.  It is actually less painful than the back of the neck, and it leaves no scar.  You will feel a slight discomfort, then you will sleep.  Do not fight the sleep.  It is necessary for Jolinar to fully blend herself to you.” Both women nodded their understanding.  “I must also caution both of you to fight the urge to bite or swallow.  Such an action may injure the symbiote and make the blending more traumatic.  Samantha, you will most likely feel an intense weakness as Jolinar leaves.  I have sensed she has endeavored to be as unobtrusive as possible, but some degree of connection must be maintained for both to live.”

 

“I understand.” Sam said. 

 

The healer placed his hand on Sam’s shoulder.  “You are certain you wish this? There is a chance you will not survive the separation.”

 

Sam sighed.  “I know.  But I can not remain here.” Turning to Teal’c she said, “Look, Teal’c, if this doesn’t work... can you try to get my... body home.  If my dad doesn’t have a body to bury...”

 

“What ever the outcome, you **WILL** get back to Earth Samantha Carter.”

 

Sam nodded her thanks.  “Well, let’s get this show on the road.”

 

The healer nodded. “Very well.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Teal’c sat beside the still form on the bed.  He was looking forward to leaving this place.  Meditation had eluded him the duration of his stay here.  He looked through the doorway to the deserted corridor.  The Tok’ra had been successful in finding a new sanctuary.  Within a few hours, they would all be gone.  Then he would have to take Samantha Carter to the surface.  The tunnels would be collapsed behind the last refugee.  He turned his attention to the human lying beside him.  Was that, yes she was beginning to stir.  Teal’c sighed in relief.  It looked like she would survive the separation.  The healer had expressed doubts.  He watched his friend’s eyes flutter open and struggle to focus.

 

“Teal’c,” she whispered weakly. 

 

“I am here Samantha Carter.”

 

“This is becoming a habit.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Bad joke.  I guess I survived.”

 

“Barely.”

 

“Good enough.  When... aah... can we leave?”

 

“The majority of the Tok’ra have evacuated.  We may depart as soon as you wish.”

 

Sam nodded and slowly sat up.  She grimaced and grabbed her head in her hands.  “Whoa.  This makes my last hangover feel good.”

 

“Are you well enough to leave?”

 

Sam nodded carefully.  “I’m in no mood to hang around.  Of course I’m also in no condition to go anywhere,” she joked weakly as she slowly swung her feet over the edge of the bed. 

 

“Samantha?”

 

Sam turned to see Sarouche standing in the doorway, carrying Teal’c’s staff weapon in one hand and their gear in the other.  She let their gear drop onto the floor.  “I am glad to see you are alive,” she said as she walked into the room, handing the weapon to Teal’c who accepted it with a nod.

 

“Sarouche, Selmac, I owe you... a debt I can never repay.  Thank you seems like so little.”

 

Sarouche brushed Sam’s thanks aside.  “I could not let you remain here against your will. 

You remind me a bit of my daughter.”

 

“I didn’t know Tok’ra could have children.”

 

“Darjan was born before Selmac and I joined.  She died years ago.  I occasionally visit her children.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Sarouche shook her head.  “It was long ago.  I must be brief.  The tunnels will be collapsed in a short time.  I just wished to give you this.” she said holding out a delicate silver chain suspending a purple crystal. 

 

“It’s beautiful, but I can’t accept it.”

 

Sarouche ignored the protests and placed the gift over Sam’s head.  “Yes you can.  Years ago Jolinar gave this to Darjan on her wedding day.  When she died, it was given to me by my grandson as a remembrance of her.  I wish you to have it.”

 

Sam gently took the pendant in her fist.  “Then I will treasure it always.”

 

  1. I will take you to the transport rings.”



 

“You are a wise woman,” Teal’c complemented Sarouche. 

 

She gave a small laugh.  “If wisdom truly comes with age, then I am wise indeed.  Either that or a very old woman.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Teal’c and Sam walked slowly across the dunes towards the Stargate.  The deep sand made walking a slow and difficult process.

 

“Teal’c, do you have any idea where we can go?”

 

He looked at Sam and shook his head.  “Earth is not an option.”

 

“No,” she agreed.  “We’ve been gone far too long for our codes to still be valid.  Anyway, my little glowing eyes routine would guarantee us being locked out.”

 

“Perhaps the Land of Light would be an option? Tuplo was most willing to accept the Tollans.”

 

“And we usually send a team to visit them every few weeks or so,” Sam continued.  “Do you remember the address? I’m not sure if I do.”

 

He nodded.

 

“Good,” She said as they continued their trek.  When they were about 50 feet away, the gate began to activate.  Sam and Teal’c looked at each other.

 

“Sarouche said the Goa’uld might be coming didn’t she?” Sam asked rhetorically. 

 

“Yes.  And one staff weapon is not sufficient for our defense.”

 

“OK plan B.”

 

Teal’c looked at his companion, an inquiring look on his face. 

 

“Hide,” she explained as they scrambled behind a dune.

 

“This camouflage will not be sufficient.  Perhaps we should attempt to return to the tunnels.”

 

“No.  We won’t lead the Goa’uld to them.” She stated emphatically.

 

Teal’c nodded and armed his weapon.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Jack and Daniel exited the gate into a mild desert climate. The pale sand was dotted with sparse grass-like vegetation.  O’Neill swept the area with his gun, then seeing no one, he paused to put his sunglasses on his face.  “You sure this is the right place Daniel?” he asked.

 

“Positive,” he replied as he walked to the DHD to confirm the seventh glyph in case they needed to leave in a hurry.

 

“OK.  Where are they?”

 

“Jack, what do you want me to do? Call information?”

 

Jack shook his head.  Of course it wouldn’t be this easy.  What did he expect, Carter and Teal’c to be sitting by the gate, like two delinquent kids waiting for the school bus.  He sighed.  “Let’s move out, look for some sign of habitation.  We’ll give it a couple of hours then we’ll go home.” //I’ll take a court-martial with a side of dis-honorable discharge to go.//

 

“O’Neill!”

 

Both Jack and Daniel swung around at the sound of Teal’c’s voice, Jack raising his gun.  The Jaffa stood up from behind the dune he had been lying behind. //OK, maybe this is going to be easy.//

 

“Teal’c! You OK?”

 

Teal’c nodded as he reached down to pull Sam to her feet. 

 

Jack watched the pair stumble down the dune, still holding his rifle at the ready.  Teal’c looked OK.  But Carter looked like Teal’c’s arm and her own stubbornness was all that was keeping her on her feet.  The pair walked slowly towards them, Teal’c obviously supporting the captain.

 

“Sam!” Daniel called as he started towards them. 

 

Jack snaked out a hand and pulled Daniel back. 

 

“Jack,” he protested, then stopped as he saw the look on Jack’s face. 

 

“Carter, you OK?”

 

Sam nodded.  “It’s gone sir.  I’m me again.”

 

Jack nodded warily.  “Nothing personal if I don’t take your word for it.”

 

Teal’c bristled at Jack’s implication.  “I witnessed the symbiote leaving Captain Carter.  She is no longer a host,” he stated.

 

“Teal’c, he won’t believe us until he sees the MRI.  It’s OK.  Can... aah... can we just go home?”

 

Listening to his gut, Jack lowered his weapon.  “I think I can arrange that Captain,” Jack said.  “Daniel, dial it up.”

 

Daniel nodded happily and made his way to the DHD.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Samantha and Teal’c have reached safety?” Sarouche asked Garshaw.

_“Yes.  Kordesh reports two Tau’ri came through the gate and retrieved them.”_

 

“The Tau’ri... came here?” Sarouche asked, amazement on her face.

_“Yes.  It is a most peculiar action.  We would never risk more lives to retrieve a lost comrade.”_

 

“Perhaps that is the reason the Tau’ri are such a formidable opponent.”

 

Garshaw shot her friend a look.  _“Formidable? From what you’ve told me of Jolinar’s memories of Samantha, the Tau’ri have barely conquered orbital flight.  To call their technology primitive would be a compliment.  They are children.”_

 

“Yet these ‘children’ destroyed TWO Ha’tak warships.  Did I tell you Samantha, Teal’c and only TWO other Tau’ri was all it took to defeat Apophis and Klorel? They also figured out how to operate the Chaapa’ai.  Not bad for children.”

_“In all my centuries of existence, I have learned there is such a thing as luck, Sarouche.”_

 

“Perhaps my friend.  But perhaps we can learn something from these Tau’ri.  Their sense of loyalty and honor is something we, quite frankly, lack.” At Garshaw’s angry look, Sarouche explained her words.  “We have become so accustomed to maintaining the ‘greater good’, so resigned to our fate of fighting the Goa’uld, we have forgotten how to CHALLENGE fate.  These Tau’ri do not meekly lie down and accept, they endeavor to change the future.  Perhaps an alliance with them can rekindle the fire that once burned bright in the Tok’ra.”

_“You are too old to be playing with fire my friend,”_ Garshaw chided.  _“Is this why you refused Marisa?”_

 

“If we kept Samantha and Teal’c here, the Tau’ri would forever see us as enemies.  I think our, and their, best hope for fighting the Goa’uld lies in us working together.  Selmac agrees that freeing Samantha to return home is far more important than her life continuing.  She and I agree it is a small enough price to pay.”

_“You will forgive me if we continue to search,”_ Garshaw asked sarcastically. 

 

Sarouche smiled.  “I said we accept the possibility, not that we look forward to it.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Janet Frasier left the examination room and nearly ran into a concerned trio of men.

 

“Well doctor?” General Hammond demanded. 

 

Janet smiled.  “I’m happy to report there is NO sign of a symbiote.  The lesion on the back of Captain Carter’s throat is consistent with how she and Teal’c reported the Goa’uld leaving her body.  The only difference I’ve been able to find is that she now has molecules of Naquadah in her blood stream, and a previously unknown protein in her blood.”

 

“Will either of these things be a problem?” Hammond asked. 

 

Janet shook her head.  “Cassandra also has Naquadah in her blood, with no side effects.  As for the protein, it may interact with some of our drugs, but it won’t control her or anything.  She’s the same Samantha Carter who left for Nasyia.”

 

Daniel, Jack and Hammond all shared a moment of relief.

 

“Can we see her?” Daniel asked. 

 

“She’s asleep.  I’ve detected some residual scar tissue from the gunshot wound, and of course the lesion in her throat.  Basically, she’s exhausted.  A few days rest and she should be good as new.”

 

“And Teal’c?” Jack asked. 

 

Janet shrugged.  “He’s fine.  No Goa’ulds, other than Junior.  He’s resting in his quarters.”

 

“Thank you doctor,” Hammond said, dismissing the woman.  “Dr.  Jackson, you should also get some sleep,” he suggested in a voice that made it an order. 

 

Daniel nodded and left the room. 

 

“Colonel, would you care to join me in my office? I think we need to rethink our security procedures again.  For some reason I think there are some serious flaws in our system.”

Jack had the grace to look a bit sheepish and he followed his superior from the room.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

The airman watched the two men walk down the hall towards Hammond’s office.  So Jolinar had escaped again.  She was a far more wily prey than he’d anticipated.  It was time to leave this facility.  Evading their pathetic attempts to discover his presence were becoming  more difficult.  He dare not return to his master.  Returning without proof of Jolinar’s death would insure his own demise or at the very least, a stay in the dungeon.  He would explore this planet.  Discover what made them such a formidable, if primitive people.

 

The guards at the gate never realized their greatest enemy calmly walked past their checkpoints and serenely disappeared into the Colorado countryside.

 

~fin~


End file.
